Featured Reviews

Vynfields - Wine2Trade Portfolio

01 October,2010

The heart of Vynfields is the 5.3 hectare organic and biodynamic vineyard situated on Omarere Road in the Martinborough Terraces sub region of Martinborough. In 1998, Kaye McAulay and John Bell purchased the vineyard planted in 1991 to make world-class wine.

The vineyard is fully certified organic to Bio-Gro N.Z. standards (BioGro N.Z. No. 4622), and biodynamic to Demeter certification, and is planted primarily in Pinot Noir, supported by Riesling and a few rows of the mysterious ‘Mad Red' variety. Most of the viticultural work is performed by hand, as is the winemaking. The wines are made by Kai Schubert and Marion Deimling of Schubert winery.

The Vynfields two-storey villa is a landmark in Martinborough. Originally the historic Maranui homestead in Lyall Bay, Wellington, Kaye and John transported the building over the Rimutaka Hills in five pieces to have it fully restored on site. The homestead is featured on the Vynfields label. Kaye and John also offer very popular self-contained vineyard accommodation, being only a few minutes from the Martinborough Village Square.

At the end of February 2014,John and Kaye sold Vynfields to Harry and Zinder Guo, and their syndicate of family and friends, who will take over from May. John and Kaye will remain on board for 6 months over the transitional period.

The Vynfields wines have won numerous national and international awards and can be placed among the top flight of Martinborough. www.vynfields.com

Archived tasting notes on wines no longer commercially available can be seen by clicking here

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

Vynfields Martinborough Pinot Rosé 2015

Rose from New Zealand – Wairarapa & Wellington

17/20

Bright salmon-peach pink colour with some depth, a little
lighter on the edge. The nose is gently
full and voluminous with aromas of savoury red cherry, strawberry and quince
fruit along with nuances of oranges.
This has good depth and retains a degree of freshness, as well as
showing some savoury secondary development notes. The nose unfolds red florals with
aeration. Medium-dry to taste and
medium-full bodied, the palate has sweetly rich and lively, vibrant fruit
flavours of strawberries, cherries and quince, forming a palate with good heart
and presence. The mouthfeel is slippery
with fresh acidity, but is softening from bottle-development. Some underlying alcoholic power carries the
wine to a light, nuanced finish. This is
a rich and lively, vibrant fruited medium-dry rosé with developing strawberry, cherry and quince
flavours on a palate with good presence, drive and slippery acidity. Serve with Asian and Middle Eastern fare over
the next 2 years, Pinot Noir fruit given
3 hours skin contact and sent direct to press, fermented in stainless-steel to
13.5% alc. and 9.5 g/L RS. Certified
BioGro organic. 17.0/20 Oct 2018
RRP $29.00

Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the
company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates

Vynfields Martinborough Pinot Rosé 2016

Rose from New Zealand – Wairarapa & Wellington

16.5+/20

Bright, pale peach-pink colour
with a little depth, very light on the rim.
The nose is light with softly fresh aromas of quince and strawberry
fruit along with subtle, savoury red floral elements, forming a fine, elegant
core with mouthwatering mineral nuances.
A little savoury-fruited bottle-development shows. Medium-dry to taste and medium-full bodied,
the palate is light-flavoured with strawberry and quince fruit with savoury
floral notes forming a moderately concentrated core with some richness. The fruit is underlined by a little alcoholic
power. The textures are fine and the acidity
is soft and balanced, carrying the wine to a light finish. This is a light-fruited medium-dry rosé with strawberry and quince
with savoury development nuances forming a core with some richness and alcoholic
power. Serve with antipasto,
tapas, poultry and pork over the next 2 years.
Pinot Noir fruit given 3 hours skin contact and sent direct to press,
fermented in tank to 14.0% alc. and 9.5 g/L RS. Certified BioGro organic. 16.5+/20
Oct 2018 RRP $29.00

Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the
company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates

Vynfields ‘Mad Rooster’ Martinborough 2015

Other Red from New Zealand – Wairarapa & Wellington

17.5/20

Dark ruby-red colour, lighter on the edge with slight purple
hues. The nose is light and softly
concentrated with aromas of dark-red and black berry fruits along with plum
notes and confected jam ntes, entwined with savoury herb and earth elements,
building in density with aeration. Medium-full
bodied, the palate has moderately rich and well-packed flavours of dark-red and
black berry fruits, plums and jam, with herb and earthy detail. The palate has a soft density with light,
grainy tannin structure providing good grip and mouthfeel. The wine has some presence and drive carrying
to a long dark plum-fruited finish. This
is a moderately packed and concentrated red with dark-red and black berried
fruit with plum, jam, earth and herb notes on a palate with good mouthfeel and
presence. Match with barbecued and
roasted game meat dishes over the next 4 years.
‘Mad Red’ fruit fully destemmed and fermented to 14.0% alc., the wine
aged 18 months in seasoned oak. Certified
BioGro organic. 17.5/20 Oct 2018
RRP $36.00

Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the
company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates

Vynfields Martinborough Pinot Noir 2014

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Wairarapa & Wellington

18-/20

Dark, moderately deep ruby-red colour, a little lighter on
the rim. This has a full nose with a
complex array of aromas of dark-red cherry and berry fruit along with an
amalgam of savoury herbs, earth and red florals. Full-bodied, the palate has well-concentrated
and taut flavours of ripe dark-red berry fruit with hints of plums, and a
subtle underlay of savoury dark herbs.
The palate has supple, positive tannin extraction and integrated
acidity, and is driven by some underlying alcoholic power which adds to the
fruit sweetness. The flavours flow with
good linearity leading to a long, lingering finish of dark berryfruit, with spices
and red florals. This is a powerfully
driven, well-concentrated Pinot Noir with flavours of ripe cherries, berries
and plums, with savoury herb and earth notes, and a lingering finish. Match with lamb, beef and venison dishes over
the next 5-6 years. Made from clone 5
and 115 fruit from rows dedicated to the ‘Estate’ wine, cropped at 33 hl/ha,
fully destemmed and fermented to 15.0% alc., the wine spending 21 days on skins
and aged 12 months in 40% new French oak. Certified BioGro organic. 490 dozen
made. 18.0-/20 Sep 2017
RRP $45.00

Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the
company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates

Vynfields Martinborough Pinot Noir 2015

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Wairarapa & Wellington

17.5/20

Dark ruby-red colour with some depth, a little lighter on
the rim. The nose is elegantly presented
with lifted aromas of dark-red berry fruit along with an amalgam of red
florals, fresh and dark herbs and some savoury earthy notes. The aromatics possess an ethereal nature with
lift and fragrance. Medium-full bodied,
the palate has a finely concentrated core of soft-red berry fruits with notes
of red florals, a little savoury earth and herbal detail. The palate flows smoothly with fine-grained
tannin extraction and structure, with balanced acidity, and carries with good
energy and a little alcoholic drive to a long, savoury, aromatic finish. This is an elegantly proportioned, smooth
flowing Pinot Noir with ethereal berry fruit flavours and some herb and earth
notes on a supple, balanced palate with a little alcohol drive. Match with wild duck and pork dishes over the
next 4-5 years. Made from clone 5 and
115 fruit fully destemmed and fermented to 14.0% alc., the wine aged 18 months
in 45% new French oak. Certified BioGro
organic. 17.5/20 Oct 2018
RRP $45.00

Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the
company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates

Vynfields ‘Reserve’ Martinborough Pinot Noir 2012

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Wairarapa & Wellington

18/20

Dark, deepish ruby-red with some garnet hues, lighter on
edge. This has a softly concentrated
bouquet with well-packed aromas of dark red berry fruits, liquorice and spices,
along with subtle, complexing dark and dried herb, and oak elements. Ethereal red floral fragrances emerge in the
glass. Medium-full bodied, the palate
features an ethereal array of dark red berry fruits and florals harmoniously
intermixed with dark herbs, earth and minerally notes, along with oak spices. This has a firm and well-concentrated core of
fine-grained tannins driven by some alcohol power. The extraction and the fruit concentration
are well-balanced with discreet acidity, and lead to a long, elegantly
proportioned finish of spicy fruits, herbs and earth. This is an elegantly concentrated Pinot Noir
with dark berry and herb flavours along with an ethereal lift. Match with coq au vin, casseroles and hard
cheeses over the next 5-7 years. Made
from fruit from rows dedicated to the ‘Reserve’ wine, cropped at 27 hl/ha,
fully destemmed and fermented to 14.1% alc., the wine spending 21 days on skins
and aged 12 months in 25% new French oak.
Certified BioGro organic. 200
dozen made. 18.0/20 Sep 2014 RRP $79.00

Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the
company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates

Vynfields Martinborough ‘Reserve’ Martinborough Pinot Noir 2014

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Wairarapa & Wellington

18.5/20

Full, dark, deep ruby-red colour with black-purple hues, a little
lighter edged. The nose is softly
voluminous with good depth and a rounded, concentrated core of ripe, dark-red berry
fruit along with notes of dark plums and an underlay of savoury dark herbs and
earthy nuances, unfolding red floral and nutty oak notes. Full bodied, the palate has sweetly rich,
ripe fruit flavours of black and dark-red berry fruit with plum notes,
harmoniously entwined with subtle savoury herb and earth elements, and spicy,
nutty oak. This has considerable
alcoholic power, which is integrated with the fruit richness and fine-grained,
well-extracted structure. The flavours
carry to a long and sustained sweet-fruited finish of ripe black fruits. This is a rich, ripe, sweet black berried and
plum fruited Pinot Noir with subtle savoury complexities on a powerful, but
integrated palate, and a very long finish.
Serve with slow-cooked game meat dishes over the next 6-8 years. Made from fruit from rows dedicated to the
‘Reserve’ wine, cropped at 27 hl/ha, fully destemmed and fermented to 15.0%
alc., the wine spending 21 days on skins and aged 12 months in 85% new French
oak. Certified BioGro organic. 170 dozen made.
18.5/20 Sep 2017 RRP $79.00

Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under
which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates